Thursday, October 13, 2011

Despite an election that has changed the face of the Tea Party controlled school board, and despite public questions and appeals to go slow, the defeated school board chair, Ron Margiotta, has put the new anti-diversity plan on next Tuesday's school board agenda.

RALEIGH The three newly elected
Democratic school board members, echoing many who spoke at a public
hearing today, said Tuesday is too early for a final vote on Wake County
schools’ sweeping new student assignment plan -- even if the delay puts
off the plan for a school year.

District 8 representative-elect
Susan Evans, who defeated chairman Ron Margiotta in Tuesday’s election,
said additional study time might mean the plan would not be implemented
until 2013, but might well be worth it.

“Do we have to have this
in place for 2012-2013, when 94-95 percent of parents are happy where
they are?” Evans asked. “I think we could take the time to vet it out
and get it right. We definitely need to continue to work on a long-term
plan.”

About two dozen speakers, most of them asking for changes in the
choice-based plan, spoke before a crowd of about 80 people in the
auditorium of historic Broughton High School. Every member of the
nine-member board except Cary representative Debra Goldman showed up,
while newly chosen members Evans, Christine Kushner and Jim Martin sat
in the front row.

The members elected Tuesday won’t take office
until Dec. 6, but Holly Springs resident Laura Broadbelt made an
emotional plea to include Evans, Kushner and Martin in decision-making
right away.

“What I’d like to suggest is something extraordinary
-- that these three people here come up right now and start working with
you,” Broadbelt said emotionally. “It looks like there’s enough room
for you to scooch over.”

Control of the board beginning in
December remains unknown pending a Nov. 8 runoff election between
District 3 incumbent Kevin Hill and Republican challenger Heather
Losurdo. Hill won 49.7 percent of the district vote, but needed a clear
majority to win outright.

Board members, as is customary, did not
respond to public comment, but Margiotta has indicated that the plan
will appear on the agenda of Tuesday’s school board meeting.